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Jewish Thought was a joint project of the Orthodox Union (OU) and Yeshivat Ohr Yerushalayim. This journal was released in Fall/Winter 5754.
WHY DID YONAH FLEE? The Conclusion of Sefer Yonah
Rabbi Yehoshua Bachrach z”l
When G-d instructs Yonah to prophesy the city of Ninve’s destruction, Yonah refuses and flees to Tarshish. Only after his miraculous salvation at sea does he at last comply. Why does Yonah flee? Indeed, how does one flee from G-d? In his psalm acknowledging his salvation, why does Yonah make no reference to his flight? And why does G-d pursue the prophet, forcing his mission upon him? By meticulously analyzing the final chapter of Sefer Yonah, the author seeks to answer these probing questions.
THE MECHANICS OF REPENTANCE: Understanding Divine Mercy
Rabbi Shraga Silverstein
In his “Ma’amar al HaTeshuva,” R. Elchanan Wasserman questions a difficult passage in Mesilat Yesharim and its implications regarding repentance. He then records the Chafetz Chaim’s response to his question. In this essay, the author provides a translation of “Ma’amar al HaTeshuva” plus his own attempt to comprehend the Chafetz Chaim’s reply and what it teaches us about the teshuva process.
THE SYMBOLISM OF CLOTHING IN SEFER SHMUEL
Rabbi Hayyim J. Angel
One of the many fascinating features of Sefer Shmuel is its emphasis on clothing. In this careful analysis of text, commentary and Midrash, the author traces the ascent and descent of Sefer Shmuel’s three major personalities- Shmuel, Shaul and David- through the symbolic significance of their garments.
SACRED AND PROFANE: Kodesh and Chol in World Perspectives
HaRav Joseph B. Soloveitchik, z.tz.l.
Delivered as a yahrzheit shiur in memory of R. Soloveitchik’s father, this little-known essay may well be the Rav’s most important. In formulating the sanctity of time and place in Judaism, the essay offers an unusually rich glimpse into Judaism’s complex world view as perceived by R. Soloveitchik.
HALAKHIC MAN AT FIFTY: A Tribute
Rabbi Abraham Berkowitz, Stephen H. Garrin
The coming year will mark a half-century since the publication of R. Soloveitchik’s landmark essay “Ish HaHalacha.” In reviewing the work, the authors affirm its significance and assess the Rav’s legacy to twentieth-century Jewry and its approach to a meaningful this-worldly existence.
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